Allergic contact dermatitis from chlorhexidine diacetate in a skin swab

Chlorhexidine is an effective medical disinfectant which is widely used and generally thought to be safe. A variety of adverse reactions including contact dermatitis, photodermatitis, contact urticaria and anaphylaxis have been described (1, 2). Allergic contact dermatitis from chlorhexidine digluconate has been described in a variety of situations including preoperative skin cleansing (3), the treatment of leg ulcers (4), wound dressings (5) and for the treatment of infected eczema (6).